Part I. Civil society and democracy -- Civil society as a normative concept -- Anti-communist opposition and civil society -- Democracy, democratization and the importance of civil society -- Part II. Democratic theory and participation -- Normative democratic theories : concepts and questions -- Deliberative democracy and citizenship -- The public sphere and democratic participation -- Part III. Challenges of post-communist democratization and civil society -- Corruption and democratization -- Weak civic participation and democratic consolidation -- Habituation to democracy in a divided society.